Association News

Bexley, Ohio, won this year’s Project EverGreen Landscaped Areas Award in the national America in Bloom competition. Each year, cities nationwide that actively work toward beautifying community green spaces are encouraged to enter. This is the first year that Bexley, a community of 12,200, has been involved with the program. The city also received second place in the overall America in Bloom competition, out of six cities of comparable size. Communities were evaluated on efforts related to floral displays, urban forestry, landscaped areas, turf and groundcover, tidiness, environmental awareness, heritage conservation and community involvement. The award was presented during the seventh annual America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program.

ASLA Presents Survey Results, Inducts Officers

The results of an online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Landscape Architects were presented at ASLA’s Annual Meeting & Expo. The survey examined the use of sustainable and energy-efficient practices in the home and in the yard, lawn or garden, as well as attitudes about sustainable landscape practices. It comes in advance of a report on sustainable landscape benchmarks and guidelines from the Sustainable Sites Initiative. The report will offer scientifically researched approaches to creating sustainable sites and landscapes.

ASLA inducted Angela Dye as its 61st president during the annual meeting. With over 25 years of professional experience, Dye is the founder of the landscape architecture firm A DYE DESIGN, Inc. The president-elect is Gary Scott, continuing over two decades of leadership within ASLA. He is the director of parks and recreation for the city of West Des Moines, Iowa. Three new vice presidents were installed, including Pam Blough, Brian Dougherty and Gary Brown. They will serve two-year terms. Terry Clements, Jonathan Mueller and Tom Tavella will continue their service on the executive committee.

NAEDA Introduces Power Pro Program

The North American Equipment Dealers Association unveiled its Power Pro Program during the 2008 GIE+EXPO. Developed by the association’s OPE Dealer Council, the program offers accreditation to dealers who operate their businesses under a universal set of standards that measure sales and service performance. To apply for accreditation, dealers must be an independent outdoor power equipment retailer; have parts and service departments; maintain a current retail certificate and/or vendor’s license; and have business insurance or the financial responsibility for the liabilities of the dealership. For more information, visit www.naeda.com.

NTEA has also announced a new award, The Work Truck Show Green Award. The winner will be selected at the Work Truck Show 2009 from companies exhibiting new products. To qualify for the Green Award, the product or technology must be new (introduced within the 12 months preceding the show), manufactured or distributed by a show exhibitor and displayed in that company’s booth at the show. It must also improve fuel utilization for work trucks.

Cal Poly Pomona Site of PLANET Student Career Days

Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, Calif., will be the site of the Professional Landcare Network’s 33rd annual Student Career Days event, which will be held March 26-29, 2009. The event, for students enrolled in horticulture programs at colleges and universities across the country, includes competitions, a Career Fair, career development sessions and Industry Workshop. Additional information about SCD can be found at http://www.studentcareerdays.org.

SWAT Submits Testing Protocol

The Smart Water Application Technologies initiative, led by the Irrigation Association, has submitted its eighth testing protocol for climate-based controllers to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is the industry’s first to be sent to the EPA for consideration in the WaterSense product labeling program. The protocol is for “smart” irrigation controllers that monitor weather conditions to determine landscape irrigation.